Musical instrument.



Patented Dec. 3, |90I.

./ydemfew;

E. C. HEYDENREICH.

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

(Appl at n m 1J 1y 15 1901) (No Model.)

UNITEDA STATES PATENT OEEIcE.

ERNST C. HEYDENREICH, OF MOUNT OLEMENS, MICHIGAN.

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of. Letters Patent N o. 687,984, dated December 3, 1901.

Application filed July 15, 1991. Serial No. 68,373. (No model.)

T0 all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ERNST C. HEYDENREICH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Mount Clemens, in the county of Macomb and State of Michigan, have invented a new and useful Musical Instrument, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to musical instruments, and particularly to that class having strings coacting with a sound-body provided with a neck and wherein a number of strings are closely arranged and toned to the same pitch or iu unison; and the purpose of the same is to arrange the strings in doubled form, so that two strings will be controlled in tuning by a single key to more readily and uniformly obtain an accurate unison by simultaneously exerting the same tension on the dual strings.

The invention consists in the construction and arrangement of the several parts, which will be more fully hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure l is a face view of a musical instrument embodying the features of the invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section of the same partially broken through. Fig.3isadiagrammaticviewshowing the dual string controlled by a single tuning-key. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of a cap to t over a portion of the tailpiece.

Similar numerals of reference are employed to indicate corresponding parts in the several views.

The numeral l designates a soundbody having a neck 2 with a key-head 3, and in the present instance ten keys l are rotatably mounted in said head and project laterally for. ease in engaging the same. Theinstrument shown also has a bridge 5 and a tailpiece 6. The form of instrument shown is of the lute type having twenty strings; but it will be understood that it is intended to utilize the invention in its several phases in connection with any stringed instrument to which it may be applicable. At the inner end of the tai-lpiece ten sheaves or pulleys 7 are mounted to freely rotatcrand are arranged in distinctly-spaced sets of two, so as to carry four strings of a similar tone across the bridge in close relation and space the sets of strings of dierent tones, as usual. A cap S of elongated form is removably litted over the pulleys or sheaves to cover the same to prevent contact of extraneous objects therewith, the ends 9 ofthe said cap having apertures lO to engage the projecting ends ll of the pintle for the said sheaves or pulleys. Over each sheave or pulley a doubled string l2 is passed and continued upwardly in contact with the bridge 5 and over the neck 2 to one of thc keys or pegs Ll, both ends of the said string being secured to the single key or peg. Each string used in the instrument is similarly arranged, and where the strings cross the bridge they are disposed at proper intervals, as in ordinarystringing,andlikewise over the neck, so as to be pressed into operative contact with the frets of said neck. It will be observed that eacli doubled string engages a movable resistance,so that both strands thereof will have an equal tension simultaneously exerted thereon when the key or peg coacting therewith is turned to tighten or tune the same. By this means the strands of the dual strings will be accurately brought up to the same pitch and both will remain so for a greater length of time, and if let down or t-he tone thereof lowered by the action of the surrounding atmosphere or temperature conditions or if manually slackened by the key or peg the same tone will be maintained in each strand at a lower pitch. Thus the strings of each set having the same tone or in unison can be quickly tuned as desired, and in an instrument having a plurality of strings, as in the present instance, the mode of stringing and tuning Will be found exceptionally convenient and accurate. In instruments of this class it is usually required to tune each string of each set of strings individually, and frequently considerable time is consumed in arriving at this result, and the strings will lower unequally. The present invention is obviously advantageous in view of this old method and the strings will last longer, because they are not continually subjected to unequal tensions in timing the same.

The rates of vibration of both portions of the string when arranged, as set forth, in accordance with the invention are alike, and both portions coperate to produce one tone of a given pitch and of considerably-increased strength and more beautiful than could oth- IOO erwise be obtained were the ordinary method of Stringing employed.

lVhen the instrument is evenly strungand it is required to suppress lthe falsetto dissonance and increase the carrying power and to avoid a shaky, tremulous, and more or less rasping quality to the original tones and impairing the purity of the latter, a wool strand 18 is transversely interlaced through the short lengths of the strings between the bridge and tailpiece, and as said strand 13 is of a nonresonant and non-vibratory character a reliable damper or suppressing means for the purpose set forth will be provided Withoutinjury to the strings and readily placeabe in op- `erative position.

The invention as an entirety will be conducive t0 producing a superior instrument, both in wearing qualities and in tone, and it will be understood that the number of strings arranged as set forth may be increased ordecreased at will.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new isl. The combination with a musical instrument comprising a sound-body, a neck providing a finger-board, a bridge and tailpiece, of doubled strings having their continuous extremities running through the tailpiece and both members of each stringcarried upwardly over the bridge and also over the finger-board ot' the neck, and a plurality of keys carried l eer/,984

by the neck, each of the keys having the two ends of each doubled string engaging the saine, whereby the parts of each doubled string may be simultaneously tuned. to the same pitch or in unison and be ngered and played by the operator to increase the volume of tone.

2. The combination with a musical instrument comprising a sound-body, a neck providing a finger-board, a bridge and tailpiece, of a plurality of doubled strings arranged in distinct sets, the strings of each set being all tuned in unison, the strings of all the sets having their continuous extremities running through the tailpiece and both menbers of each string of all the sets carried upwardly over the bridge and also over the finger-board of the neck, and a plurality of keys carried by the neck, each having the two ends of cach doubled string engaging the saine, whereby the parts of each doubled string may be simultaneously tuned to the same pitch or in unison and be lingered and played by the operator to increase the tone-velu me of the sets of strings.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own l have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ERNST C. HEYDENREICU.

Witnesses:

TRAUeo'rr LUNdERsi-IAUSEN, O. C. LUNGnRsHAUsEN. 

